Tire display stand



NOV. 8, R C HOWELL' ET AL 1,886,549

TIRE DISPLAY STAND F'ed June 21, 1929 w@ m i ma Mgg?? Patented Nov. 8,1932 UNrrED STATES PATENT oEEIcE ROY C. HOTVELL, 0F LAXEWOD, AND YFRANKA. FLEMING, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO TIRE DISPLAY STAND Application led June21,

This invention relates to improvements in tire display stands, andparticularly to means for quickly mounting a, tire for rotation about anaxis substantially coincident with the axis of the tire, or demountingit with equal facility, and to a method of displaying a series of tiresin which all of the tires are caused to rotate like the gears of a geartrain.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a simple,inexpensive tire display stand, permitting the rotation of the tire,either by hand or power, in order that the prospective purchaser may beenabled to give the tire a thorough inspection without appreciablephysical effort.

Another object is the provision of adjustable tire gripping members, allof which move inwardly andl outwardly simultaneously and uniformly, sothat the tire is automatically brought to a position concentric with themounting spindle.

Another object is the provision of simple and convenient means forapplying driving power to the tire, which automatically compensates forany out-of-round condition of the tire.

A further object is the provision of simple means for locking the tiremounting elements in order to prevent theft.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as we proceed with thedescription of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposesof the present application, we have illustrated in the accompanyingdrawin in which:

ig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating two display stands embodyingthe invention, the stands facing in opposite directions and one of thembeing provided with an electric motor support;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, on a larger scale, showing the tirecarrier in detail;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the motor and its tire rotating element.

In the drawing we have illustrated a base which comprises preferably ahub 1() having bosses 11 to which legs 12 are pivotally con- 1929;seriai No. 372,589.

nected. These bosses support standards of two somewhat different forms,depending upon whether or not-a motor is to be supported. The standardshown at the left in Fig. 1 has a lower vertical portion 13 that 5.1extends into the hub 10 and is supported thereby. Above the verticalportion`13 the standard is bent laterally for a distance, as indicatedat 14, joining to the portion 13 a second vertical portion 15 of alengthy sube0 stantially equal to the radius of the largest tire forwhich the stand is designed. At its upper end the standard is again bentto form a horizontal portion constituting a spindle 16 which extendsparallel with the portion 14 65 but is somewhat longer. The material of.which the standard is built is preferably iron pipe.

The standard for the motor stand comprises preferably two pieces of ironpipe, 7o.` the lower piece being bent at right angles to form a verticalportion 17, which enters and is supported by the hub 10 of the base, anda horizontal portion 18. The second piece of pipe in this standcomprises a ver- 15 tical portion 15', the lower end of'which is weldedto the portion 18, the distance between the axes of portions 15 and 17being the same as between the axes of portions 15 and 13 in the otherstand. The top end 80 of the pipe 15 is bent down to extend parallelwith the portion 18 of the lower pipe to constitute a spindle in amanner precisely the same as in the case of the standard previouslydescribed.

19 is an electric motor having a rotor shaft 20. 21 is a rotary elementwhich is bored out at one end to tit over the shaft 20, to which it issecured by a set screw 22. The outer portion 23 of the element 21 ispreferably 90 turned down to a very small diameter. This small Vdiameterportion engages the tire tread and. constitutes a friction drive forrotating the tire, but owing to its unusually small diameter, ascompared with the tire diameter, the rotation of the tire is slow enoughnot to blur the detail formation of the same as it revolves. Y

To the bottom of the motor 19 is bolted a pair of metal strips 24 whichextend some 10C Coming now to the carrier ior the tire, this constitutesprimarily three radial tire grip"-V ping members 27 and two'disks.28.,.and29 mounted to rotate upon the spindle 16 of the standardl.orl15, as Vthe case may be. r)The outer `ends ofthe members A27 may lbeformed;

in different A'ways for .engagement with the tire, butin thepresentfinstance weh'ave.

shown them .as'provided with outturned tingersBOto `straddle the twobeads of the tire, as illustrated particularly inliig. 1.

The members 27 are slidablymounted in radial licliannel-shaped grooves31formed in the disk28 at the time -the latter isvcast. At its center .thedisk 28 has .a hub .32 providing a. bearing for .the disk upon thespindle 16..

Theinner surface of the disk 28 is flat and continuous except when it isinterrupted by the .grooves y31. vAgainst this .surface the in-l nersurface of the disk 29 engages. The lat'- terdi'skh'as three cam slots33 formed therein, identical in shape, and each adapted .to receive a.pin 34 that is secured .to the inner end of the' c'orrespondingmember27.` Near` the periphery of kthe disk 29 there are two slots 35 formedalong arcsof a circle. Into theseslo't's :extend bolts36 which aremounted in holes in lthe disk28. yVashers 37 and wing nuts 3 8 on thethreaded en'dsv of the bolts 36 serve, 'when the .nuts are threadeddownv tightly, `to securely clamp these disks together. For. conveniencein manipulating thev de'vice the `disk 29 may` havea handle 39 welded,riveted, or otherwise secured thereto. The disk 29 .also has a hub orbearing portion 40l rotatably mounted upon the spindle 16. IVhe'nthe twoVdisks are clamped together the tWo .hubs 32 V`and'40 together form awide bearing for the rotating carrier. On either side lof this bearingthereare washers 41, and

cotter pins 42 Vare projected through suitable holes inthe spindle Y16soVas to preventthe carrier from moving off the end of the spindle orVfrom -iiioving t'oo farV inwardly. The length of the-spindle 16 and thepositions of the -cotter pins 4 2 are such that the centery of gravityof the tire displaced upon the stand shall 'lie directly over the centerof the base or tripod. l

The stand of 'the present'invention is intended for use with severaldifferent diameters of tires,for instance three, and in 'order that-itmay be possible@ iek ont@ the-Stand a tire of 'any one 'of thesediameters, we pro-.

vide the disk 29 with a single hole 43 and the disk 28 with three holes44. Any one of the latter may be brought into registration with the hole43, after which a padlock 45 may be projected through the aligned holesto lock the disks together.

Asa further precautionagainst theft, that isagainstvthetheft of astandwitlia tire locked thereon, I may bend the lower ends of legsr12 toform feet 48 that are perforated for vthe reception 'of fasteningsbymeans of which the ,stand may be fastened to a floor or pavement.

.By ,means of.Vv ourV invention an attractive display of a considerablenumber of tiies may beprovided by `the' useofasingle motor standand/.aiiumberof standsliket that shown.` at the left of Fig. 1,v all arrangedina series4 with .adj acent tire treads touching each other..` Then,when the motor is set in operation, all. ofthe tires.willrotateslowlyDisplay. cards ofjvarious kinds may, of.course,;be mounted within lthetires, thus concealing the tire carriers. a No matter what thesize ofthe tiremay be,

be truewithin practical lli-mits. Such slight flattening ordistortioniof .the tire as may .re-.r sult from the application ofpnessure.by;the

carrier members. 27 toA three different? points only ofthe tire, willbecomplensated Afor by; the resilient mountingrof-.the motor-19. i..

'I-Iaving thus described our invention, fwe claim:

1. In a tire aispindldla rierl mounted torotatef upon'saidfspindle,whereby the tiremay-berturne'd through any desired' angle, .land tirefgripping4 larms mov, able upon saldicarrier .uniformly .into tire'gripping position, whereby the tire .isicen` tere'd with respect to saidspindle-,and means for locking the operating .means in .anyone of aseries of operative positions.

2: In a tirefdisplay stand, .a spindle; a

rier mounted to rotate upon said spind1e',:an l

tire gripping arms movable upon 'saidcarrier uniformly into grippingposition, where.- by .the tire iscenteredwith respect to said spindle,and a power driven: rotating ele.

ment adapted to engagel the'periphery of a tire thus supported. Y f f..v-

. 3.1 Ina tire Adisplayv stand,a base, a standard mounted in saidbase atthe center there-` of and extending upwardly therefrom in an oHsetposition, `the upperendfof 4saidstandard being turned down vto-ahorizontal position-` overlying the center of-.sai'dbase, and a ltirecarrier rotatably.- mo'untedfu-pon hori-y zontal. por-tion of thestandard. t Y n 4. In a tire display stand,a'base, 'afstandard mountedin said base -at the center thereof and extending upwardlyftherefrom in.an offset position, the upper end bf said stand-- that is. within .thelimitsk of? the adjustment; provided, it .will always be. properlycentered upon the spindle 16:, so thatits rotation. will.Y

ard being turned down to a horizontal position overlying the center ofsaid base, a tire carrier rotatably mounted upon said horizontal portionof the standard, said standard having a horizontal laterally extendingarm near its lower end, an electric motor pivotally supported upon saidlaterally extending arm to one side thereof, the shaft of said motorcarrying an element adapted to rotatably engage the tread of the tiresupported upon the stand, and resilient means tending to move said motorupwardly on its pivotal support.

5. In a tire display stand, a spindle, a pair of disks rotatably mountedthereon independently with their adjacent surfaces contacting, aplurality of tire gripping arms adjustably mounted in one of said disksfor uniform movement inwardly and outwardly, means for actuating saidarms comprisin cam surfaces carried by the other disk, sai disks havinholes therethrough, certain of which are a apted to register in variouspositions of relative adjustment for the reception of a locking means.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto aix our signatures.

ROY C. HOWELL. FRANK A. FLEMING.

